Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia's Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) and Sweden's Scandinavian Halal Certification AB signed a mutual recognition agreement to streamline bilateral halal trade by recognizing each other's halal certification systems.BPJPH Head Ahmad Haikal Hasan said the agreement establishes mutual recognition of halal certificates in accordance with both countries' laws and regulations.”With this harmonization, cross-border halal trade will become more efficient without compromising halal quality assurance,” Hasan said in a statement on Friday.He said the partnership reflects BPJPH's efforts to expand international cooperation on halal product assurance, benefiting trade and industrial development in both countries.The agreement also supports Indonesia's goal of establishing internationally recognized halal standards.”This shows halal is not only about religious compliance. It also represents transparency, traceability, reliability, health and quality of life. Halalan thayyiban must become a shared global trade standard,” Hasan said.Swedish Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea and ASEAN Daniel Blockert said the agreement would further strengthen economic ties between the two countries.”If ASEAN members can establish harmonized halal standards with SHC, it will be an excellent start. The Swedish Embassy and Business Sweden stand ready to support this collaboration,” Blockert said.SHC Chief Executive Officer Aso Asinger called the agreement a key milestone, saying recognition as Sweden's first BPJPH-approved halal certification body would expand bilateral trade opportunities.Under the agreement, SHC will conduct halal certification under BPJPH standards, implement the Halal Product Assurance System, and oversee surveillance and halal production verification.The Swedish certification body must also submit regular reports, upload certificate data to BPJPH's SIHALAL system, and ensure exports to Indonesia comply with domestic regulations.In return, BPJPH will formally recognize halal certificates issued by SHC within the scope of competence established through accreditation and conformity assessments.